Combined beet-harvester



L. ADAMS. COMBINED BEET HARVESTER. APPLICATION FILED JUNE 24, 1920.

1 ,'390,261 Patented Sept. 13, 1921.

4 SHEETS-SHEET l- Witmeoo L. ADAMS. COMBINED BEET HARVESTER. APPLICATIONFILED JUNK-I24, 1920.

Patented Sept. 13, 1921.

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4 SHEETS-SHEET 3- L. ADAMS.

COMBINED BEET HAHVESTER. APPLICATION FILED JUNE 24, 1920.

Patented Sept. 13, 1921.

1 .m Am W a W H m 4 I w %R Nww m, \m. M \h V S M A A A 0 0 A0 A06 6 A0 Ni 0 w\ M 9 0v 3 m 1 w front portion 0 through I UNITED LAWRENCE ADAMS,or LAYTON, UTAH.

COMBINE BEET-nAnvns'rER.

Specification of Letters Patent: Patnte d Sept. 13, 1921.

Application filed June 24, 1920. Serial No. 391,309.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, LAWRENCE ADAMs, a citizen of the United States,residing at Layton, in the county of Davis and State of Utah, haveinvented a new and useful Combined Beet-Harvester, of which the following is a specification. j v

i This invention relates to a machine for harvesting and topping beets,one of its objects being to provide a machine of this character whichcan be drawn or otherwise propelled along a row of beets and willsuecessively dig the beets, convey them upwardly, remove the tops, andthen deliver the tops and the beets separately from the machine.

A further object is to provide novel means for engaging the beets andconveying them to the toppingmechanism.

Another objectis. to provide novel means for gripping the beets duringthe topping operation and subsequently delivering said beets from themachine.

Another object isto provide a laterally extending beet conveyer fordischarging beets from the 'machine, said conveyer having mechanismwhereby it can be adjusted longitudinally relative to the machinewithout interfering with the operation of the conveyer.

With the foregoing and other objects in View, which will appear as thedescription proceeds, the invention resides in the combination andarrangement of parts andin the details of construction hereinafterdescribed and claimed, it being understood changes in the preciseembodiment of the invention shown can be made without departing from thespirit of the invent on.

In the accompanying drawings the preferred form of the invention hasbeen shown. In said drawings Figure 1 is a plan view of the machine.Fig. 2 is a side elevation.- Fig. 3 is a rear end elevation. Fig. 4 is abottom plan view. Fig. 5 is a section through topping disks and showingadj acent. parts;

Referring to the figures by characters of reference 1 designates anelongated frame the rear portionwofwhich is supported by wheels 2engaging Bearings 41 are provided at the sides of the this frame andextendlng them are spindles 6 mounted for one a of the the ends of anaxle longitudinal sliding movement and also mounted for rotation in andmovement with. a cross head 7 extending under the front" portion of theframe 1. A bell crank lever 8 is fulcrumed on the frame and one endthereof is connected bya link 9 to the cross head 7 while the other endof the lever has an operating rod 10 extendingrearwardly to a pointadjacent a seat 11 adapted to be occupied by the driver, arranged at therear end of the machine. A rack 12 is arranged adjacent lever 8 and isadapted to be engaged by a dog indicated generally at 18 and which isoperated by a Wire or the like, 14:, extending through a small handlever 15.

Each of the spindles 6 has a forkedlower end 16 in which is journaled awheel 17 and a crank arm 17 is extended inwardly from the upper end ofeach spindle. These vcrank arms have rods 18 connected to them andextending rearwardly to a foot lever 19 located in front of theseat' 11and adapted to be operated by the occupant of the seat. Thus it will beseen that by manipulating this foot lever the machine can be steered andby means of the rod 10 thefront end of the machine can'be raised orlowered.

Guide brackets 20 are provided at the sides of the frame 1 and back ofthe brackets at andin each of them is slidably. mounted a stem 21 havinga head 22. The two heads are connected by a cross shaft 23 and a sprlng24; is mounted on each stem 21 and serves to hold the head 22pressedydownwardly. Hangers25 are fixed to the sides that, withinthescope of what 1S clalmed,

of the frame 1 and have links 26 pivoted to them, and to the heads 22,thus to reinforce the stems. The bearings 20 are pivotally connected tothe sides of the frame 1 by bolts 27 so as to be-free to swing slightlyduring theup and down movement of the stems 21.

Extending from the sides of the frame 1 are standards 28 andsecured tothe lower end of each standard is a digging plow 29, the two plows beingso shaped and positioned relative to each other as to work under thebeets in the soiland elevate them.

A roller 80 is mounted on the shaft 23 and supports the front portion ofan upwardly and rearwardly inclined endless conveyer 31 the upperportion of which is mounted on a roller 32 carried by a transverse shaft33. Longitudinal series ofjoutwardly extending spikes are secured to thebelt or conveyor 31,

this seat being frame 1 are preferably dropped below the level of theupper portion of the conveyer 31 and provide bearings for opposedvertical rollers 35 each of which has a bevel gear 36 secured'to thelower end thereof and rotating therewith. Gears 37 mesh with the gears36 and are secured to short laterally extending shafts 38 journaled inbrackets 39 and sprockets 40 on the shafts 38 receive motion throughchains 41 cured to the shaft 33.

Mounted 011 the rollers 35 are endless gripping belts 43 which extendinto engage:

ment with suitably arranged guide rollers 44 and also into engagementwith. pressing rollers 45 arranged in pairs. Each of these rollers 45 iscarried by a pivoted arm 46 yieldingly pressed inwardly by a spring 47.These rollers 45 engage the inner portions of the two endless grippingbelts andv the arms 46 are so proportioned and located. as to hold thebelts so as to form a throat or contracted passage as indicated in Fig.4. Back of this throat is arranged a delivering spout 48 which extendsdownwardly from a point above the throat, the bottom of this spoutconstituting means for deflecting downwardly beets gripped between thebelts as hereinafter pointed out. Arranged transversely under the rearend of the throat formed by the belts 43 and below the upper end of thespout 48 is a transverse conveyer 49 which is slidably mounted in theframe 1 or, more particularly, in a depending extension 50 upon the rearportion of said frame, as shown in Fig. 2. A rack 51 is formedlongitudinally on the bot tom of the frame 52 0f the conveyer 49 and isconstantly in mesh with a gear 53 journaled in a bearing 54 fixed to theframe 1. A sprocket 55 rotates with this gear and is adapted to beactuated by a chain 56 extending upwardly. to a sprocket 57 secured to asmall crank shaft'58. This shaft is journaled in a standard 59 adjacentthe seat 11 and, by rotating the crank 60 on the shaft 58 the gear 53can be rotated so as to shift the conveyer 49 longitudinally with itsdelivery end any desired distance from the side of the frame 1. Theendless belt forming the conveying portion of the conveyer 49 is mountedon rollers 61 one of which is providedwith a gear 62 constantly meshingwith another gear 63 on a shaft 64 extending longitudinally of the frame52. This shaft 64 is feathered in a sprocket-65 adapted to receivemotion through a chain 66 from another sprocket 67 loosely mounted onthe rear axle 3. By means of a clutch 68 under the control of he driverthe sprocket from sprockets 42 se-' 84 is mounted in the frame 67 can belocked to or released from the axle 3 so as to control the transmissionof power from said axle to the shaft 64 and, consequently, control theactuation of the conveyer 49.

Supported in the frame 1 and above the belts 43 are vertical shafts 69each of which is provided, at its lower end, with a topping disk 70, theinner portions of the two disks lapping asshown. 7 Gears 71 are securedto the upper ends of the shafts 69 and mesh witlrgears 72 secured totransverseshafts 7 sprocket 74 secured to adapted to receive motionthrough a chain 5 from a sprocket 76 secured to the shaft 33.

Each of the vertical shafts 69 has a collar 77 'slidable on it andcarrying the disk 70. The collars are mounted for rotation in the endsof a bowed stop strip 78 and secured to the end portions of this stopstrip are arms 79 extending downwardly from the ends of a cross bar 80.This, cross bar is engaged by a lifting arm 81 extending forwardly froma hand lever 82 adapted to be operated by the driver and. having anysuitable means, such as a rack 83 forengagement by a pawl or dog (notshown)' of the usual construction. A

deflecting strip 7 1 adjacent the uppermost portion of the elevator 31and constitutes means for stripping beets from the spikes or prongs 34as they are brought into position at thefront end of the throat betweenthe belts 43. This cross strip 84 has recesses through which the spikes34 will pass. V

The machine herein described can be drawn forward by a team of horses orcan be propelled by a tractor orby its own power. The spikes 34 will diginto the soil and enter the beets in the paths thereof and which beetshave been loosened by the plows 29. This action will cause the conveyeror elevator 31 to operate by reason of its rolling contact with theground and such operation will not only result in the elevation of thespiked beets with their tops upper most but will also result in thetransmission of motion from the conveyer or elevator 31 to the shaft 33and the various parts driven the throat between belts 43 and will bereleased, dropping to the side delivery conveyer 49. By means of thelever 82 the disks can be raised or moving them from the belt.

the conveying belt,

lowered so as to properly adjust them to the tops to be severed.

What is claimed is:

1. A machine of the class described including a portable structure, anupwardly and rearwardly extending conveying belt, outwardly projectingbeet engaging spikes upon the belt for entering the soil and actuatingthe belt, and means operated by said belt for gripping the elevatedbeets and re- 2 The combination with a movably supported structure, ofan upwardly extending conveying belt, beet engaging spikes extendintherefrom for entering the soil and actuatmg the belt during themovement of the machine, opposed belts for receiving elevated beetstherebetween, means for transmitting motion to said opposed belts fromthe conveying belt.

3. The combination with a movably supported structure, oi an upwardlyextending conveying belt, beet engaging spikes extend-' ing therefromfor entering the soil and actuating the belt during the movement of themachine, opposed belts for receiving elevated beets therebetween, meansfor transmitting motion to said. opposed belts from the conveying belt,said opposed belts forming a throat therebetween, and means foryieldingly pressing the opposed belts against beets within the throataway from the conveying belt.

4. The combination with ported structure, of an upwardly extendingconveying belt, beet engaging spikes extending therefrom for enteringthe soil and actuating the belt during the movement of the machine,opposed belts for receiving elevated beets therebetween, means fortransmitting motion to said opposed belts from topping means supportedabove said opposed belts, and means for transmitting motion to saidtopping means from the conveying belt.

5. The combination with a movably supported structure, of an upwardlyextending conveying belt, beet engaging spikes extending therefrom forentering the S011 and actuating the belt during the movement of themachine, opposed belts for receiving elevated beets therebetween, meansfor transmitting motion to said opposed belts from the conveying belt,topping means supported above said opposed belts, and means fortransmitting motion to said topping means from the conveying belt, andmeans for raising and lowering the topping means relative to the beltsduring the actuation of said topping means.

to convey said beets a movably sup- 6. The combination with a movablestructure and beet engaging and elevating means operated by contact withthe ground, of opposed gripping belts for engaging elevated beets andconducting them away from said elevating means, topping means above thegripping belts, and mechanism operated by the beet elevating means fordriving the gripping belts and the topping means. a

7 The combination with a movable structure and beet engaging andelevating means carried thereby and actuated by contact with the ground,of opposed gripping belts forming a throattherebetween for recei ing theelevated beets and conveying them from the elevating means, a conveyerextending under the gripping belts, said throat having a widened portionder for releasing the gripped beets to deliver them to said conveyer.

8. The combination with a movable structure and endless beet engagingand conveying means carried thereby and operated by contact with theground, of opposed beet gripping belts forming a throat therebetween,topping mechanism above the belts, a delivering conveyer below thebelts, said throat being widened above the delivering conveyer torelease beets therethrough, an outlet spout extending under the toppingmeans, and means for stopping the severed tops and delivering them tothe spout.

9. The combination with a movable struc ture, of beet engaging andelevating means operated by contact with the ground, 0pposed grippingbelts forming a throat there between for the reception of elevatedbeets, said belts forming a throat therebetween having a widenedportion, a delivering con veyer under the widened portion of the throat,means operated by the movement of said structure for actuating thedelivering conveyer, and means under the control of the operator forshifting the delivering conveyer bodily during the actuation thereof.

10. The combination with a portable structure and digging means carriedthereby, of an upwardly extending endless conveyer, and beet engagingspikes projecting from the conveyer and movable successively by contactwith the ground to engage and elevate beets loosened by the diggingmeans.

Intestimony that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto aliixedmy signature in the presence of two witnesses.

LAWRENCE ADAMS. Witnesses:

VERD- Coon, J. B. CoonnY.

above the conveyer thereun-

